Usually when I write movie reviews under the "Way too Late at the Movies" title, it's a movie somewhat recent that I did indeed miss and finally saw.
This time, however, we've gone back to 1976, and to an almost-movie-length series of sketches from the British sketch show The Two Ronnies: "The Phantom Raspberry Blower of Old London Town," written by Spike Milligan and "a gentleman."
I'm familiar with Spike Milligan and his humor sensibilities thanks to his appearance on The Muppet Show. When our kids were younger, they were enthralled -- and I mean ENTHRALLED -- by Milligan's deadpan humor. It reminds me a lot of my Dad, who was pretty reserved except at times when he found something funny. He was pretty funny himself.
On to the show:
I will say I'm a sucker for a British satire/parody, and that's certainly what this is. The Phantom terrorizes London Jack the Ripper style by blowing raspberries at his victims, who in proper Victorian style end up in the Thames or simply keel over at the utter uncivility at the crime. Nonsequiturs abound as Milligan and company bring out the comic tropes you'd figure to find in such a story.
Well worth the watching, and available on YouTube in many forms, viz:
No comments:
Post a Comment